Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Israel's Solution to America's Droughts: Seawater By: Elizabeth Daigneau on April 29, 2014

California, I hear, has a big water problem,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said on Bloomberg Television. “How come we don’t have a water problem? Because we use technology to solve it.”

The technology is Israeli’s four seawater desalination plants. The Middle Eastern nation, which sits on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, is 60 percent desert and has been struggling with drought for most of its existence. But with a fifth desalination plant set to open this year, Israel doesn’t have a water problem anymore. That’s because once the new plant comes online, more than 80 percent of Israel’s water will come from desalination.

Indeed, the largest users of desalinated water are in the Middle East, which uses about 70 percent of worldwide capacity, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The desalination process essentially makes seawater drinkable by forcing it through reverse osmosis membranes that filter out salt and other impurities. There are about 300 desalination plants in the U.S. Most of them, however, are used for industrial purposes. Only about 13 percent of America’s domestic water supply -- that is, water for drinking, cooking and bathing -- comes from desalination. So why aren’t there more desalination plants in the U.S.?
That’s essentially what Netanyahu was wondering during his visit to drought-stricken California in March. Currently, the state has 17 proposals for plants but only half a dozen small ones currently operating along the 840-mile coastline. A desalination plant is being built in Carlsbad, Calif., that will wring 50 million gallons of freshwater a day from the sea and serve about 3.1 million people. The $1 billion project is set to open in 2016.

Part of the reason seawater desalination plants are rare in the U.S. is that the process is energy intensive and, as a result, expensive. Desalinated water can cost two times as much as water currently imported from other sources. The process is more common where energy is cheap, such as the oil-rich Middle East.

But perhaps a bigger reason there aren’t many seawater desalination plants in the U.S. is that there “is a risk in building facilities before we need them,” says Heather Cooley, water program director for the nonprofit Pacific Institute. She points to the Charles Meyer Desalination Facility in Santa Barbara as a cautionary tale. During the 1987-1992 drought, the coastal Southern California city built a plant as a hedge against an ongoing drought. But as soon as it was completed, the drought ended. Since there were cheaper options available, the city shut the facility down and it remains closed to this day.

Australia had a similar experience. During its Millennium Drought, which lasted more than 10 years starting in 1995, the country built six major seawater desalination plants. Today two of them are still in operation and four of them have been put in standby mode. “This is because, again, there are cheaper options available,” says Cooley. “Yes, we can build them from a technological standpoint, but they are energy intensive and expensive. We need to look at what all of the options are.”

Long before Israel built its first desalination plant, it was already a world leader in water conservation. In addition to desalination, Israel reuses treated sewage water for agriculture, runs a public education campaign to conserve water, monitors for leaks in its infrastructure using advanced software and runs computerized deep drip irrigation systems. These areas, Cooley says, are ones that California and the U.S. need to work on.

“Water conservation and efficiency is typically the cheapest, fastest way to reduce demand and essentially develop a new supply,” she says. “We’ve made significant improvements in California, but we still have a long way to go.”

Originally published by Governing
http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/Israels-Solution-Americas-Droughts-Seawater.html

Disaster Preparedness & Recovery 5 Reasons Why Emergency Operations Are Going Virtual By: Tanya Roscorla on April 29, 2014

1. Most events can be handled virtually.

Before Jason York became an emergency manager for Eugene in 2013, he filled the same role for five years in Washington, where the state managed incidents virtually all the time. He doesn't remember ever being part of a physical EOC while he was there. "I'm a strong believer that the majority of incidents can be handled virtually and you don't have to take people away from what they may normally do and put them all into the traditional EOC," York said.

 

Moving forward, he plans to use a virtual platform, called Basecamp, three-quarters of the time either by itself or in tandem with a physical EOC.

 

The University of Oregon only uses its physical EOC twice a year compared to about 12 times per year for its virtual EOC. The virtual version works well for event management, coordination and communication, Le Duc said. Large events — like Oregon Ducks football games, visits from the Dalai Lama and the U.S. Olympic track and field trials — help people become comfortable with the system so they're ready when a power failure or storm hits.  

2. Everyone in the area is on the same page.

Two storms hit Eugene this past winter, and through the University of Oregon's platform, the city's key emergency management staff in different organizations were able to share information so they could get a better picture of the situation.

 

"It's a partnership in the area," York said. "It really has us all on the same page, which makes more sense to me than us both going direct and trying to figure out what the other person's doing when we can do it all on the same platform."

3. Multiagency collaboration happens quickly.

One of the major problems during those storms was that the road conditions were so bad that critical health personnel couldn't get to the local hospital to take care of patients. The hospital asked the city for help, and the city used chained buses from its Recreation Services department to transport them. But that could only happen for one operational period. So a hospital emergency management staff member posted a transportation request through the virtual EOC, and both the University of Oregon and Springfield Public Schools were able to help.

 

"I think that ultimately they're going to be the way that emergency management goes as far as directing or providing that coordination and the ability of folks to get together," York said.

4. A smaller staff can work more efficiently.

Getting together in person is especially tough for agencies with limited staffing. For example, the Springfield and Eugene fire departments have been merging for the last four years (it will be finalized July 1). The merger consolidates administrative positions across both departments and could save up to $1.5 million annually, according to The Register-Guard.

While it's a sound move economically, it leaves fewer managers, including high-level commanders, who normally would go to a physical EOC, said Joe Zaludek, deputy chief of special operations for Eugene Springfield Fire. If all the managers were at the EOC, then no one would be available to brief the crews coming on or the shift that's trying to make staffing or operations decisions. And a physical EOC for each sister city would double the staffing requirements, which doesn't meet the goals of the merger. 

"This is something we've been worrying about: How are we going to staff both EOCs?" Zaludek said. "Well, we kind of did it by phone or by Internet."

During the storms this past winter, 300 to 400 power lines were down, and they didn't know which ones were still energized. The fire department deployed staff to secure the lines until the utility company could get there, and one unit was trapped between two downed power lines.

Zaludek listened and triaged calls in the communications center, worked on the virtual EOC for a briefing and then provided crews with information, including when relief might be arrive, the status of the power companies and priorities for the utility crew's next stop.

"Having the virtual EOC allowed us to minimize our staffing in the EOC environment, apply the resource where it could be applied as needed, and then still be flexible or have the availability to support field operations when needed," he said. 

While it's difficult to replace face-to-face interaction, jurisdictions can use the technology they already have to help respond to emergencies, York said. The virtual EOC maximizes people resources so they can share crucial information without having to step away from their job.

"Especially for jurisdictions that have one- or two-person shops like myself, it's really the most effective way to go," York said.

5. Information sharing is easier and uses fewer resources.

Even with a larger team like the University of Oregon has, it's not always as effective to pull people together in a physical room, Le Duc said. Because communication is critical to incident management, it's important to find a way to communicate quickly in a manner that works for everyone.

A virtual EOC doesn't take many resources to start and allows people to track who's responsible for what, when they expect to have something completed, and what the next decision point is, Le Duc said.

"The physical aspect of bringing people together is often difficult, and I know that especially in the higher ed environment, it's extremely difficult," Le Duc said. "What we've found is by utilizing a virtual environment, we get more people to be at our virtual table faster and work with us. Therefore when we do have incidents where we physically need people to come to the EOC, they're much more likely to and they're also a lot more comfortable because they've interacted with us in kind of a virtual world."

Originally published by the Center for Digital Education

http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/Why-Emergency-Operations-Are-Going-Virtual.html

Disaster Preparedness & Recovery San Francisco Partners with Nextdoor for Emergency Alerts By: Jason Shueh on April 30, 2014

In March, San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood endured a five-alarm fire that, just before 5 p.m., engulfed a six-story, 80-foot-tall building that was under construction, sending black smoke thousands of feet into the air and eventually burning the building to the ground.

During the blaze, San Francisco officials used its latest emergency tech project to notify residents of the situation and give updates. 

Using Nextdoor — a Facebook-style social networking site for neighbors to communicate on topics such as crime, safety, services, lost pets, nearby resources and emergency plans —  the project offers a real-time delivery system for city alerts, crowdsourced reports and crisis maps that connect residents to resources. Announced on April 17 to commemorate the city’s devastating 1906 earthquake and fire, the collaboration links Nextdoor and the city’s SF72, San Francisco’s public engagement and emergency preparedness hub for the Department of Emergency Management (DEM).

The offerings come at zero cost to the city, and SF72 — “72” referring to the 72 hours following an emergency incident — intends to leverage Nextdoor’s pervasive resident network that extends throughout the city.

"We can actually share information within all of the neighborhoods within San Francisco, or we can geographically target neighborhoods if something is happening,” said Kristin Hogan, DEM’s program manager.

During the five-alarm fire, AlertSF, a text-based notification system, sent multiple messages through Nextdoor, and its other communication routes, to assist nearby residents. The platform also allowed the Mission Bay neighborhood to communicate with each other to coordinate an evacuation that occurred from the east side of Fourth Street between Mission Rock and China Basin streets, according a CBS report.

“When we send those types of alerts out, it's usually a higher level of an emergency that's taking place," said Francis Zamora, San Francisco’s public information officer. "So the Nextdoor team has dedicated staff within their own company to monitor AlertSF when an alert is released." 

As an additional tool for the city, Hogan said the partnership lays out yet another avenue to direct alerts and notifications. Additionally, it puts the critical communication in existing networks where dialogue is already happening — instead of waiting for residents to seek the information.

"It's important for us to work smarter and not harder in identifying these existing networks we can plug into as opposed to us trying to develop them from scratch,” Hogan said.

In contrast to more traditional social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, which DEM also uses, Hogan said the advantage lies in the personalization and specificity of Nextdoor. For users to participate on the private platform, they must verify their home address through their phone number, the mail via a post card password or through a free debit or credit card reference.

“We're inserting ourselves into the conversations by going to where the conversations are taking place,” she said.

While the partnership is a first for San Francisco, it’s also a first for Nextdoor. Kelsey Grady, the company’s head of communications, said it is the first partnership the San Francisco-based company has made with a municipal department of emergency management across the U.S., notwithstanding its more than 32,000 neighborhoods. Joint efforts have been made with about 165 local government entities nationwide, police departments representing the majority; however, the DEM partnership is first of its kind. It’s also the first department collaboration in San Francisco.

"Our hope is to eventually have a partnership with every city, with every police department, with every office of emergency management, but it's stepping stones with bringing people onto the platform and then getting the product right,” Grady said of Nextdoor’s long-term strategy for government partnership.

Reflecting on the company’s private-public partnerships, Grady said the developments were mutually beneficial additions, but not foreseen when the company first began. Originally, the platform was meant to be a neighbor-to-neighbor only channel of communication and interaction. However, with government departments having such critical information about neighborhood safety and security, the partnerships formed organically.

"I think it's kind of interesting how this partnership is igniting the conversation around using technology," Grady said, "and how you can use technology to get prepared when disaster strikes.

http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/San-Francisco-Partners-Nextdoor-Emergency-Alerts.html

Verizon Dabbles In Security Reporting:By Richard Adhikari E-Commerce Times Part of the ECT News Network 04/23/14 6:05 AM PT

Verizon tried on security reporting for size -- and it didn't fit. Its sketch of trends over the past 10 years, based on a smattering of incidents, attempts to guide companies to figure out which threats they're most vulnerable to among 10 types it identifies. Using the tool it provides actually "could lead to a false sense of security," suggested RedSeal Networks CIO Steve Hultquist.

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Ninety-two percent of more than 100,000 incidents reported by 50 companies over the past 10 years fall into nine basic patterns, according to Verizon's 2014 data breach investigations report. An advance copy was released to the media Tuesday.

Point-of-sale intrusions, Web app attacks, cyberespionage and card skimmers cause the most concern for data disclosure, it says.

The patterns of attack affect some companies and industries more than others, it notes, and companies can use matrix it supplies to discover what they are most vulnerable to.

However, the report leaves many questions unanswered. What about the cloud? What about newer vectors of attack? What about poorly written code and zero-day vulnerabilities?

"This is a non-security company issuing a security report, and the McAfees of the world are scratching their heads over it," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told the E-Commerce Times. "There are 80 billion ways to attack a system and they've found nine ways."

Cyberattacks are "changing on a daily basis," Enderle pointed out. The Verizon report "is like doing a military study that goes back 1,000 years and talks about spear placement and how to set ballistas'.

Points Made

Verizon's figures show that in 2013, Web app attacks accounted for about 40 percent of incidents, point-of-sale intrusions and cyberespionage 20 percent each, and card skimmer attacks and insider misuse for about 10 percent each.

The other four categories are theft/loss, miscellaneous errors, crimeware, and denial of service. There is a 10th category titled "everything else."

Verizon's matrix lays out the type of industry against the frequency of the 10 incident categories. For example, the industries most affected by PoS attacks are retail, accommodation and food services. Right now, up to 110 million consumers may be reeling from the Target data breach, while 3 million may have been hit by a data breach at Michaels Stores.

Is the History Lesson Useful?

Contrast the Verizon Report with the 2014 State of Cloud Security Report from cloud security vendor Alert Logic, which shows an increase in attacks on both cloud and on-premises IT environments. Between April 1 and Sept. 30, 2013, Alert Logic observed one billion security events and verified more than 232,000 as valid threats.

Could old-style security detection be missing out on new threats? How useful is Verizon's report, really?

Looking at trends around any sort of crime "is always good" because "it might not matter for the biggest categories but looking at the growth of smaller ones gives an idea of where things might shift in the next couple of years," contended Jeremy Demar, director of threat research at Damballa.

"At a minimum, [the Verizon report] helps find areas where you may be weak or overspending," Demar told the E-Commerce Times. "It's a good idea to understand the whole picture to figure out how to allocate your staffing and funding resources."

That could be critical to IT, which is understaffed, overworked and is chronically short of funds for security.

Gotta Keep Moving

On the other hand, just going by the matrix "could lead to a false sense of security, since it is likely that an attacker will move to other weaknesses if the first few are addressed," warnedRedSeal Networks CIO Steve Hultquist.

"Those who focus only on what they can easily understand -- such as [security] control points in isolation -- are living with blinders on, and are likely to find themselves responding to attack," Hultquist told the E-Commerce Times.

"We can turn the tide [against cybercriminals] by using what we have to respond well," Hultquist said. "We cannot [do so] by using what we have always used."

Companies "need to look at the challenges holistically rather than in isolation, understand the complex interdependency of business needs and security controls, and use automation to monitor and audit that overall infrastructure," Hultquist said.

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/80342.html

U.S., UK advise avoiding Internet Explorer until bug fixed BY JIM FINKLE BOSTON Mon Apr 28, 2014 2:45pm EDT

(Reuters) - The U.S. and UK governments on Monday advised computer users to consider using alternatives to Microsoft Corp's Internet Explorer browser until the company fixes a security flaw that hackers used to launch attacks.

The Internet Explorer bug, disclosed over the weekend, is the first high-profile computer threat to emerge since Microsoft stopped providing security updates for Windows XP earlier this month. That means PCs running the 13-year-old operating system will remain unprotected, even after Microsoft releases updates to defend against it.

The Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team said in an advisory released on Monday that the vulnerability in versions 6 to 11 of Internet Explorer could lead to "the complete compromise" of an affected system.

The recently established UK National Computer Emergency Response Team issued similar advice to British computer users, saying that in addition to considering alternative browsers, they should make sure their antivirus software is current and regularly updated.

Versions 6 to 11 of Internet Explorer dominate desktop browsing, accounting for 55 percent of global market share, according to research firm NetMarketShare.

Boldizsár Bencsáth, assistant professor with Hungary's Laboratory of Cryptography and Systems Security, said the best solution was to use another browser such as Google Inc's Chrome or Mozilla's Firefox.

DELAYED UPGRADES

Security experts have long been warning Windows XP users to upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 before Microsoft stopped supporting it at the beginning of this month.

The threat that emerged over the weekend could be the wakeup call that prompts the estimated 15 to 25 percent of PC users who still use XP to dump those systems.

"Everybody should be moving off of it now. They should have done it months ago," said Jeff Williams, director of security strategy with Dell SecureWorks.

Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies, expects several hundred million people running Windows XP to dump those machines for other devices by the end of the year.

They will be looking at Windows machines as well as Apple Inc's Macs and iPads along with Google's Chrome laptops and Android tablets, he said.

"Not everybody will necessarily go to Windows, but Microsoft has a good chance at getting their business," he said. "It's got to be a good stimulus for the year."

News of the vulnerability surfaced over the weekend. Cybersecurity software maker FireEye Inc warned that a sophisticated group of hackers have been exploiting the bug in a campaign dubbed "Operation Clandestine Fox."

(Reporting by Jim Finkle. Additional reporting by Paul Sandle in London.; Editing byRichard Valdmanis, Tom Brown and Cynthia Osterman)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/28/us-cybersecurity-microsoft-browser-idUSBREA3Q0PB20140428

April 29, 2014 Federal Aid Programs for the State of Arkansas Declaration-FEMA

Release date: 

APRIL 29, 2014

Release Number: 

HQ-14-032 Factsheet

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s major disaster declaration issued for Arkansas.

Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:

• Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable.  Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters.  Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements.  (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
• Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional.  (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
• Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs.   (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)
• Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals.  (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)
• Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance.  Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses.  Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance.  (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
• Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster's adverse economic impact.  This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
• Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)
• Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans’ benefits and social security matters.

www.fema.gov

April 29, 2014 FEMA: Be Prepared for Continuing Severe Weather; Major Disaster Declared for Arkansas, Federal Teams Supporting Affected Areas-FEMA

FEMA: Be Prepared for Continuing Severe Weather; Major Disaster Declared for Arkansas, Federal Teams Supporting Affected Areas

Main Content

Release date: 

APRIL 29, 2014

Release Number: 

HQ-14-033

WASHINGTON – At the direction of President Obama, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is continuing to support areas impacted by severe weather from the Central Plains to the Southeast U.S. FEMA, through its National Response Coordination Center in Washington D.C. and regional offices in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, and Denton, Texas, is closely monitoring the severe weather and remains in close contact with impacted and potentially impacted States and Tribes.

Today, President Obama declared a Major Disaster for the State of Arkansas as a result of the severe weather. This declaration makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Faulkner County. Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency work.

Residents and business owners in Faulkner County, Arkansas who sustained losses can begin applying for assistance by registering online atwww.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Yesterday, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate travelled to Arkansas to survey tornado damage in Mayflower and Vilonia, where he spoke with state officials to ensure that the state’s needs were being met.

FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams are deployed to Oklahoma, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Mississippi with additional liaison officers in Kansas and Alabama. FEMA deployed the Texas Task Force 1 Urban Search & Rescue Team as well as the White Incident Support Team to the State of Arkansas. An additional team based in Nebraska is also on alert and prepared to deploy if requested.

“Severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding continue to impact communities today,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “It’s important that anyone in potentially impacted areas continue to follow the direction of local officials.”

FEMA remains in close contact with the National Weather Service, which is forecasting a risk of severe weather this afternoon and into tonight for portions of the lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys into the central eastern Gulf States. Several tornadoes, large hail and straight line damaging winds are likely.

Severe weather can occur anytime, day or night, and residents should be prepared to take action immediately. For the latest weather forecasts, visitwww.weather.gov.

When natural disasters, such as tornadoes and severe storms strike, the first responders are local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations, and numerous private interest groups who provide emergency assistance required to protect the public's health and safety and to meet immediate human needs.

Severe Weather & Tornado Safety Tips  

• Maintain an emergency supply kit both at home and in the car to help prepare for power outages or impassable roads. Visit www.ready.gov orwww.listo.gov to learn more about how to be better prepared and how to protect your family during emergencies. Find severe weather and tornado preparedness tips at http://www.ready.gov/severe-weather.
• Follow the instructions of state and local officials, and listen to local radio or TV stations for updated disaster response and evacuation information. Residents can listen to NOAA Weather Radio and local news to monitor for severe weather updates and warnings. The National Weather Service is the source for tornado watches and warnings.
• Become familiar with the terms used to identify severe weather and discuss with your family what to do if a watch or warning is issued. Terms used to describe tornado and other severe weather hazards include the following:

For a flash flood:

• A flash flood watch: Flash flooding is possible. Be prepared to move to higher ground; monitor NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
• A flash flood warning: A flash flood is occurring; seek higher ground on foot immediately.

For a severe thunderstorm:

• A severe thunderstorm watch means that a severe thunderstorm with large hail and/or damaging winds is possible in your area.
• A severe thunderstorm warning means that a severe thunderstorm with large hail and/or damaging winds is occurring or imminent, move indoors immediately.

For a tornado:

• A tornado watch means a tornado is possible in your area.
• A tornado warning means a tornado is either occurring or imminent, take shelter immediately.

Residents are encouraged to prepare for what to do during a tornado and plan where you will go if a tornado watch is issued in your community:

• Storm cellars or basements provide the best protection.
• If underground shelter is not available, go to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.
• Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Most injuries associated with high winds are from flying debris, so remember to protect your head.
• Vehicles, trailers and mobile homes are not good locations to ride out a tornado. Plan to go quickly to a building with a strong foundation, if possible.
• If shelter is not available, lie flat in a ditch or other low-lying area. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location.
• Plan to stay in the shelter location until the danger has passed.

Wireless Emergency Alerts are now being sent directly to many cell phones on participating wireless carriers' networks. These alerts are sent by public safety officials such as the National Weather Service and designed to get your attention and to provide brief, critical instructions to warn about imminent threats like severe weather. Take the alert seriously and follow instructions. More information is available on Wireless Emergency Alerts atwww.ready.gov/alerts.

The American Red Cross Tornado Warning and Alert app has an automatic audible siren that goes off when NOAA issues a tornado warning, provides notification when a warning expires and allows users to let other know they are safe. For more information visit www.redcross.org.

Be Safe After the Storm

• Only enter areas that have sustained damaged after local officials have said it is safe to do so. Always follow the direction of local officials.
• Because tornadoes often damage power lines, gas lines or electrical systems, there is a risk of fire, electrocution or an explosion. 
• Here are some safety precautions that could help you avoid injury after a tornado:
  • Be careful when entering any structure that has been damaged.
  • Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves and gloves when handling or walking on or near debris.
  • Do not touch downed power lines or objects in contact with downed lines. Report electrical hazards to the police and the utility company.
  • Use battery-powered lanterns, if possible, rather than candles to light homes without electrical power.
• Inspecting the damage:
• After a tornado, be aware of possible structural, electrical or gas-leak hazards in your home.
• In general, if you suspect any damage to your home, shut off electrical power, natural gas and propane tanks to avoid fire, electrocution or explosions if you know how to do so.
• If it is dark when you are inspecting your home, use a flashlight rather than a candle or torch to avoid the risk of fire or explosion in a damaged home.
• If you see frayed wiring or sparks, or if there is an odor of something burning, you should immediately shut off the electrical system at the main circuit breaker if you have not done so already.
• If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open all windows and leave the house immediately. Notify the gas company, the police or fire departments, or State Fire Marshal's office and do not turn on the lights, light matches, smoke or do anything that could cause a spark. Do not return to your house until you are told it is safe to do so.

www.fema.gov

April 29, 2014 Recovery Centers to Close May 10; FEMA Assistance Still Available

Release date: 

APRIL 29, 2014

Release Number: 

007

EVERETT, Wash. – The state of Washington and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will close the three Snohomish County Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 10. The FEMA help line will continue to be available to provide guidance for survivors of the March 22 SR530 Slide.

The DRC staff members have been able to field questions and supply information to more than 800 survivors since they began operations on April 7.

For those affected by the slide who have yet to visit a DRC, the three centers will be open and fully staffed until the close of business on May 10 at:

Oso Fire Station (Snohomish County Fire Protection District 25 - parking lot)
21824 State Route 530 NE
Arlington, WA 98223

Arlington Department of Public Works
154 West Cox Ave.
Arlington, WA 98223

Darrington Ranger District Office (Parking Lot)
1405 Emens Ave. North
Darrington, WA 98241

Operating hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The DRCs will not be open on Sunday, May 4.

www.fema.gov